Track-clearer for air-brake-setting devices.



Patented Dec. 30, |902.

l F. L. mousson. TRACK GLEARER FUR AIR BRAKE SETTING DEVICES.

(Application led Oct. 29, 1897,)

(lin Modal.)

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J2 Q wim UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. DODGSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO PNEMATIO SIGNAL COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEYV YORK, ACORPORATION OF NEWr YORK.

TRACK-CLEARER FOR AlR-BRAKE-SETTING DEVICES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,873, dated December30, 1902.

Application filed October 29, 1897. Serial No. 656,858. (No model.)

To all whom, t nttty con/cern:

Beit known that LFEANK L. DoDGsoN, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Rochester, New York, have invented an ImprovedTrack-Olearerfor Air-Bralre-Setting Devices, of which the following is aspecicatiomreference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved device for clearing the track infront of the triparm of an air-brake-setting device, which improvementis fully described and illustrated in the following specification andthe accompanying drawings, the novel features thereof being specified inthe claims annexed to the said specication.

In the accompanying drawings, representing my invention, Figure 1 is adiagram representing the `clearer bar attached to the truck-frame. Figs.2 and 3 represent the airbrake-setting valve and its trip-arm. Fig. 4irepresents the movable contact-bars on the ties between the rails. Fig.5 is a plan view of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, A, Fig. l, represents the clearer-bar,which is attached to the locomotive-truck frame B or other suitable partof the engine or train in front of the air-brake-setting .mechanismrepresented in Figs. 2 and 3, so that any ice, snow, or' otherobstructions in the path of the trip-lever C of the air-brake valve areremoved. The clearer-bar is attached to the truck-frame in anysuitableprnanner-such, for instance, as by being bolted to thecross-bars b t, connecting the journal-boxes N.

The trip-lever O is pivoted at k, Figsl 2 and 3, to an arm or plate G,attached to any convenient part of the train below the springs and inrear of the clearer-bar. This plate is provided. with the lugs 'a n,through which the pivot /t passes. The plate is provided with aprojecting arm K, which sustains a cylinder I, which contains a plungerH, arranged to be moved lengthwise by the tripping of the lever C, so asto open an escapepassage to reduce the pressure in the airbrakeapparatus.

J is a pipe connected in any suitable way with the train-pipe or othersuitable part of the air-brake apparatus. Thispipe is screwed into thehead h of the cylinder L, which head is provided with a small opening g,normally closed by the piston on the end of the plunger H. The piston isprovided with a suitable packing which contacts with the inner surfaceof the head h.

j is a divergentpassage in the cylinderwall by which pressure is carriedfrom the cavity in tlie head h to the other end of the cylinder, so asto act on the piston l on the plunger H. The piston Z is preferablylarger than the piston t'. The pressure on the piston Z holds the pistont toits seat and effectually closes the opening g. The piston l isprovided with packing in any suitable way.

The plunger H is provided with a suitable stuffing-box d.

f is a vent-hole through the wall of the cylinder through which the airescapes from the air-brake pipe when the piston t is moved ott itsseat.Y A hole c through .the cylinder I prevents the accumulation ofpressure between the pistons l and The operation of thedevice is asfollows: The trip-lever C being turned on its pivot to the positionapproximately represented by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the plunger Hand its attached pistons are drawn' forward, thus opening the passage gand'permitting the air in the air-brake apparatus to escape through thevent-hole f, thus setting thebrakes and stopping the train. The upperend of the lever C-bears against the inside of the head a on the plungerH and causes the plunger to move lengthwise when the lower end of thelever is swung backward. When the plunger is drawn out, a spring-dog cis forced in between the plate G and the head a, and the return of theplunger is thereby prevented.

Any suitable device may be employed to secure the movement of thetrip-lever. A stationary plate secured to the cross-ties may in somecases be employed for this purpose where a train is always to be broughtto a stop. The contact-plates may also be made movable and controlled byany suitable style of signaling apparatus-such, for instance,

as the pneumatic cylinder P and piston Q represented in Figs. 4 and 5and which operate to raise the contact-plates D D into the path of thetrip-lever C on the admission of pressure through the pipe o. The rod Lon the piston Q is provided with a slotted head R, into which thetongues p on the inner ends of the bars D D' are fitted. The outer endsof the bars D D are pivoted at q q' to lugs on the ends of the plate F,which is supported by the base E, secured to the cross-ties. The

bars normally occupy the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 4; buton the admission of pressure below the piston Q they are raised to theposition indicated by the dotted lines, in which position they operatethe trip-lever as the train passes over them. On the release of thepressure the bars return to normal position. The upper cylinder-head isprovided with a stuffing-box s, and the piston may be provided with adrip-pipe t, which passes through a stuffing-box in the lower head.

The slotted head R, Figs. 4 and 5, has a series of slots r cut into thetwo sides of its upper surface, and, as above stated, a series ofcorresponding ltongues on the inner ends of the bars D and D fit intothe slots r. It is obvious that as the head R rises and falls thetongued ends of the bars D and D' will remain in place upon said headand that the parts, whatever their position of elevation, will maintaintheir proper relative positions, and when the trip-lever C strikeseither ot' the bars D or D it will be gradually tilted into the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby setting the air-brake valve.The bars D and D may be made of any suitable length in order to producea gradual tilting of the trip-lever C and may, in fact, be twenty ormore feet long in order to operate the better if a train should pass thebars at high speed.

The clearer-bar serves to remove any obstructions from thecontact-plates. It will be observed that the contact-plates will bedepressed by the clearer-bar, so that the bar should be located on thetrain at such a distance in front of the trip-lever C that the platesmay rise again after the clearer-bar has passed, so as to act on thetrip-lever. The

f contact-plates may be arranged to be elevated by a spring of anysuitable kind, such as the spring d or CZ.

It is obvious that when the contact mechanism is raised by the pneumaticpressure into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 the xedclearer-bar A can strike said contact mechanism and will depress itagainst the pneumatic action, clearing obstructions away from it andWithout affecting the operation of the air-brake-setting device, for thecontact mechanism. being still under the action of the pneumaticpressure immediately will spring back into said position (shown indotted lines in Fig. 4) for engaging the triplever C. The contactmechanism is therefore iieXible or compressible by the fixed clearerbar,and the clearing actionV is rendered certain and complete both as toobstructions lying on the contact mechanism and for obstructions to theproper action of the joints -of said contact mechanism.

I claiml. The combination with an air-brake-valve mechanism upon a trainadapted to set the airbrakes, of a tilting trip-lever adapted to operatesaid valve mechanism, a fixed bar on the train in advance of suchtrip-lever, a flexible contact mechanism, adjacent to the track whichyields to the action of the fixed bar and returns immediately afteraction upon the trip-lever; and means for raising and lowering saidcontact mechanism so as to engage or not to engage said lever asdesired, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with anair-brake-valve mechanism upon the trainadapted to set the air-brakes, of a trip-lever adapted to set saidvalve, and a contact mechanism adjacent to the track consisting of abase-plate having two contact-bars pivoted thereto, said bars eX-tending from the pivotal points toward each other, and avertically-movable head whereon the inner ends of said bars rest,whereby the trip-lever may be operated by striking either of said bars,a cylinder and piston adapted to operate said head, and suitablepneumatic connections for operating said piston, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination,with an air-brake-valve mechanism upon the trainadapted to set the air-brakes, of a trip-lever adapted to set saidvalve, and a contact mechanism adjacent to the track consisting of abase-plate having two contact-bars pivoted thereto, said bars eX-tending from their pivotal points toward each other, and avertically-movable head whereon the inner ends of said bars rest,whereby the trip-lever may be operated by striking either of said bars,and a clearer-bar attached to the engine or train in advance of thetrip-arm and adapted to depress said plates and to remove therefromobstructions to' the action of the trip-arm thereon, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination,with an air-brake-valve mechanism upon the trainadapted to set the air-brakes, of a trip-lever adapted to set saidvalve, and a contact mechanism adjacent to the track consisting of abase-plate having two contact-bars pivoted thereto, said bars extendingfrom the pivotal points toward each other, and a vertically-movable headwhereon the inner ends of said bars rest, whereby the trip-lever may beoperated by striking either of said bars, a cylinder and a pistonadapted to operate said head, and suitable pneumatic connections foroperating said piston, and a clearer-bar attached to the engine or trainin advance of the trip-arm and adapted to depress said plates and toremove therefrom obstructions to the action of the trip-arm thereon,substantially as described.

5. The combination,with an air-brake-valve IOO IIO

v mechanism upon the train adapted to set the air-brakes, of atrip-iever adapted to set said valve, and a contact mechanism adjacentto the track consisting of a base-plate having two contact-hars pivotedthereto, said bars extending from their pivotal points toward eachother, and a vertically-movable head Whereon the inner ends of said barsrest, the head and the ends of the bars having matching tongues andgrooves on the contact-surfaces thereof, whereby the trip-lever may beoperated by striking either of said bars, suhstantiaiiy as described.

6. The comhinatiomwith an air-brake-vaive mechanism upon the trainadapted to set the air-brakes, of a trip-lever adapted to set saidvalve, and a contact mechanism adjacent to the track consisting of abase-plate having FRANK- L. DODGSON.

' Witnesses:

GERTRUDE C. BLAOKALL, C. SCHUYLER DAvIs, S. P. MOORE.

